Aberdeen Jazz Festival Kicks Off Its 23rd Year With Sell-Out Shows
Tickets are moving fast as the 11-day programme gets under way.
Every performance at one of this year’s new venues has already sold out. The Victorian Toilets in Union Terrace Gardens are among the hottest tickets at Aberdeen Jazz Festival, which opens today, Thursday 12 March.
It’s been a year of change for live music in the city. Long-established venues have closed, while new spaces have reopened. Jazz Scotland CEO John Youngs described it as bringing “fresh energy to the city’s music scene.” The festival spans 18 venues this year, with more than 30 events over 11 days.
One of the earliest events has also sold out. Tomorrow’s concert and workshop at Middlefield Community Centre features the Celtic Django Project, honouring the late Ron Bird, who passed away in early 2025. Bird founded Guarana, Aberdeen’s street drumming band, and was a well-known figure across the city’s music community. The show also celebrates his reputation as an eco-hero.
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Jazz the Day City
For anyone who missed out on the Victorian Toilets, Sunday 15 March offers another way in. Jazz the Day City gives one ticket access to four venues over an afternoon: the Victorian Toilets, Encore on Skene Terrace, the Craig Centre for Performing Arts at RGC, and Cowdray Hall.
Ten acts are spread across the afternoon, from the funk, jazz and soul of the Gil Scott Heron Project to live Latin jazz from Melodie and the Chillers. Toby Mottershead takes an early blues and roots detour, while Nathan Somevi brings jazz classics together with soul and gospel. At £5, it’s one of the easier decisions of the festival.
Keeping it accessible
That £5 price point is part of a broader approach. Nothing in the programme costs more than £25. A warm welcome initiative offers free entry to most events, and more than 200 tickets have gone to charity and community partners. Student entry is £8 at nearly all shows, with senior concessions for Thursday’s Jazz at the Blue Lamp concerts.
Sell-outs extend beyond the Victorian Toilets: Susan McCathie at Sugarbird Wines and the Soundbath performances at the Bon Accord Baths are also gone.
The festival runs until 22 March. Full details and remaining tickets are at aberdeenjazzfestival.com.
